Clarification from the agency

All groups of qualified individuals.

The Executive Director, Office of Communications has overall responsibility for planning, managing, and evaluating a broad array of service that provide direct support to the Office of the Under Secretary for Health and direction and support to VHA.

• Directs the development of VHA strategic communications and marketing plan; disseminates key messages and official positions on public issues; promotes VHA mission, vision and activities.
• Provides counsel to the USH and senior leaders on strategic communications issues; coordinates communications between the USH, senior leaders, and key stakeholder groups.
• Leads/assists in VHA/VA culture change initiatives through relevant, ongoing internal/external communications initiatives/activities.
• Manages assigned staff, develops priorities, and assigns projects; assures that appropriate services are provided, and goals are defined and achieved; develops staff skills and conducts performance evaluations.
• Meets regularly with staff to discuss and resolve priorities, workload and technical issues; develops additional hiring/staffing recommendations; manages internal/external stakeholder relationships.
• Reviews and guides the work of VHA Communications staff to assure the work quality and timely accomplishment of assigned duties and responsibilities; manages budget and allocates resources to meet established VHA strategic goals.
• Provides direct oversight of VA's Voluntary Service Program and plays a key role in VHA's relationship with Veteran Service Organizations (VSO).
• Oversees current media inquiries, internal messages and long-term campaign planning, to include those that support USH priorities, while advising the field and internal program offices of plans and initiatives all while remaining consistent with VHA's Strategic plan.
• This position has a Deputy Director, and 4 Program Directors for various communications platforms with an overall staff of 37 full time employees. As VHA continues to provide patient centered care to Veterans, it is imperative that VHA proactively communicate messages that highlight quality care sustainment with a focus on Veteran satisfaction.

Conditions of employment

• US citizenship is required.
• One-year probationary period required for initial SES appointment.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Incumbents of this position will be subject to a background investigation commensurate with the risk and sensitivity level of the position.
• Successful completion of drug screening required.
• Public Financial Disclosure Report (SF-278) is required.
• May be subject to reassignment geographically or organizationally.

Qualifications

The increasingly keen visibility to communicate and connect with stakeholders requires VHA to distinguish itself as a top tier health care system organization. Potential candidates should possess the unique ability to synchronize all communications capabilities and key messages across public communications, internal communications, social media to include connecting with volunteers and VSOs. The Office of Communications serves as the catalyst for VHA's initiatives and strategies that support VHA's ability to communicate key messages that demonstrate the department's commitment to ensuring America's Veterans have access to the health care benefits to which they are eligible.

To meet the minimum qualifications, applicant must possess the following technical and executive core qualifications. These qualifications would typically be gained through progressively responsible management or executive level assignments such as director of a regional office, medical facility or program manager. An individual's total experience, education and volunteer work experience must demonstrate the ability to perform the duties of the position.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g. Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

MANDATORY EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs): All applicants must submit a written narrative response to the following ECQs. Your narrative must address each ECQ separately. Additional information on ECQs is available at: http://www.opm.gov/ses/recruitment/qualify.asp. Applicants are encouraged to follow the Challenge, Context, Action and Results model outlined in the guide. It is recommended that you draft your ECQs in a Word document and then upload into the system.

1. Leading Change: The ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to establish an organizational vision and to implement it in a continuously changing environment.

2. Leading People: The ability to lead people toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to provide an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts.

3. Results Driven: The ability to meet organizational goals and customer expectations. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to make decisions that produce high-quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks.

4. Business Acumen: The ability to manage human, financial and information resources strategically.

5. Building Coalitions: The ability to build coalitions internally and with other Federal agencies, state and local governments, nonprofit and private sector organizations, foreign governments, or international organizations to achieve common goals.

TECHNICAL QUALIFICATION (TQ)s: In addition, all applicants must submit a written narrative response to the following TQ(s). Please give examples and explain how often you used your skills, the complexity of the knowledge possessed, the level of people you interacted with, the sensitivity of the issues you handled managing a large public or private sector organization that administers complex, rules-based benefits or services, etc. It is recommended that you draft your TQ(s) in a word document and then upload into the system. Responses to TQs must not exceed 2 pages per TQ (total 6 pages).
TQ 1. Broad knowledge and understanding of policies, missions, and operating programs of large, diverse health care organizations.

TQ 2. Extensive and specialized knowledge of, and experience in, development of corporate communications systems, and experience in the development and implementation of corporate identity strategies. Familiarity with complex and difficult problems involving the management of communications and corporate identity systems at the corporate level.

TQ 3. Has served as representative / spokesperson with various media, customers and stakeholder groups.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Step 1: ECQ qualifications

Step 2: Technical Qualification(s)

Step 3: VA Executive Resources Board

Step 4: Nominating Organization may conduct interviews

Step 5: Approval by the Selecting Official (may include additional screening)

Step 6: OPM Qualifications Review Board certification